User:TreyCranfield/Sandbox
 Samson at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships | |
| Full name | Clyde Alexander Samson Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
| Residence | London, England |
| Born | June 16, 2002 (age 17) Liverpool, England |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Turned pro | 2019 |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| College | University of Virginia |
| Coach | Andy Murray (2015-present) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 0-0 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1885 (18 June 2019) |
| Current ranking | No. 1888 (24 June 2019) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open Junior | F (2018) |
| French Open Junior | 3R (2018) |
| Wimbledon Junior | F (2018) |
| US Open Junior | F (2017) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0-0 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 2442 (24 June 2019) |
| Current ranking | No. 2442 (24 June 2019) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open Junior | 4R (2017) |
| French Open Junior | 2R (2018) |
| Wimbledon Junior | SF (2019) |
| US Open Junior | W (2018) |
| Last updated on: June 24, 2019. | |
Clyde Alexander Samson is an American tennis player. A former world No. 1 junior, he made it to three separate junior Grand Slam singles finals in the span of two years, falling short in all of them. In addition to his junior success in singles, he won the Wimbledon Junior Doubles Championships in 2018 with his partner, Dimitri Kuznetsov, a previous world No. 1 junior in his own right.
Following his appearance at the 2018 Australian Open final, Samson was on top of the ITF Junior rankings. From 29 January 2018 to 25 June 2018, he held on to the position, falling to No. 2 after only advancing to the third round of the 2018 French Open, being passed by Daniel Carr. He regained No. 1 status on 16 July 2018, after advancing to the final of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships. He lost in the final to junior breakout John Reid in straight sets. Samson held on to the ranking through his decision to turn professional in July 2019.
On 1 July 2019, following the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where Samson made it to the QF in junior singles, and the SF in junior doubles, he decided to turn professional, following the pressure from his peers. Immediately, Samson signed a racket contract with Babolat, and clothes deals with Adidas.
A promising junior, Samson caught the attention of many professional coaches, and signed with 3-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in 2015, who has coached Samson through his full tenure as world No. 1, one junior Grand Slam title, and all three finals appearances.
Early life and background
Samson was born on 16 June 2002, to Laura and Joe Samson, two British politicians. Joe Samson served as the Home Secretary under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Samson has one younger brother, Chris, who is also a British politician, and serves in the British Parliament. Samson spent the first nine years of his life in Liverpool, before moving to the outskirts of London. In 2018, Samson spoke about the move that he described as "life-changing", which is credited to introducing him to the game of tennis. A late-starter, Samson first competed in a junior tennis event at the age of 10, the 2012 USTA Hard Court Nationals 10-and-under event, where he finished as the runner-up. His father, a strong tennis player regionally, coached Samson until the age of 13.
Junior Career
At the age of 11, Samson made his first Grand Slam appearance at the 2013 Australian Open Boys' qualifying event, where he fell in the first round to 17-year old Lo Chi Zhang.
The USTA granted Samson a wildcard into the 2014 US Open Boys' qualifier, at the age of 12. He won the first around against American Carl Edenberg 7-6(7-3), 6-2.